The success and tradition of Maynard Reece's art has made his work the standard for North American waterfowl art. The range and variety of Reece's work are matched only by the variety of the waterfowl species he paints and the ranges of the continental flyways they traverse. The art of Maynard Reece captures the drama, the serenity and the elusive sense of reality of the wetlands. He brings a lifetime of experience to his art.
The high esteem in which Reece is held by conservationists, sportsmen and by his colleagues in the art world is unmatched. The generation of wildlife artists that has followed him considers him their inspiration and model. The anatomical perfection with which Reece paints is a result of many years in the field observing, sketching and painting.
Reece's honors are legion: His work has appeared frequently in prestigious magazines; he was 1973 Ducks Unlimited's Artist of the Year and honorary trustee of the organization; his paintings have been regularly included in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's "Birds in Art" show, and he was honored as Leigh Yawkey Woodson's 1989 Master Wildlife Artist; he has won two awards from the New York Art Directors' Club; he was commissioned by the government of Bermuda to design their indigenous wildlife postage stamps, and his art book, The Waterfowl Art of Maynard Reece, is an enduring favorite. It was followed by the publication of The Upland Bird Art of Maynard Reece.
Maynard Reece's association with duck stamp programs alone spans forty years. The phenomenal success of his 1972 First of Iowa State Duck Stamp remains the benchmark by which all other programs are measured. The only five-time winner of the Federal Duck Stamp Competition — an accomplishment unlikely to be repeated — Maynard Reece has an unparalleled record of artistic achievement. His artwork is collected across the United States and Canada and throughout the world. Reece is a dynamic artist who is never satisfied; as he says, "I'm just beginning to see what is possible."